Crustless Portobello Pizzas

                         Crustless Portobello Pizzas

4 to 6 Portobello Mushrooms (cleaned with stem and gills removed)

4 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Minced Garlic
Salt to taste
½ lbs Spice Italian Sausage (browned & drained)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 cup Assorted diced veggies (I used Red Bell Pepper, Bell Pepper, Squash)
½ tsp Mince Garlic
½ cup Pasta Sauce (I used my homemade sauce)
½ cup Heavy Whipping Cream (half & half or yogurt can be substituted)
½ cup grated Parmigiano  (or grated parmesan)
2 cups Mozzarella
6 Cherry Tomatoes (sliced)
2 tsp chopped Fresh Basil (chopped)

Mix 1 tablespoon minced garlic in 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Rub mushroom caps gentle with seasoned oil.  Arrange caps on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes until tender.  Remove from oven and set aside.

In a large skillet add 2 tablespoons olive oil and diced vegetables. Sauté for 3 minutes, then add ½ teaspoon minced garlic and sauté another 2 minutes. Remove cooked vegetables from skillet and set aside.

In same skillet add Cream, pasta sauce, and grated parmigiano. Heat to a simmer and remove from heat.  

Layer sausage, vegetables, cheese and top with fresh basil and tomato slices.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes until cheese is completely melted.  Serving size is One Portobello. 

Serve while hot - ENJOY!

Please note: I only prepare 3 servings and reserved the remaining

sausage, sauce, and veggies for omlettes the next morning.

My New Creation: Fairytale Book Sculpture

     Well, I was able to set aside a few hours each day for the last two weeks to complete (nearly complete) a project.  My husband Bob, loves collecting old books - lots of old books. Many of them are in very bad condition, but too unique to toss out. So, I have reworked one into a 'book sculpture'.  All though tedious, it has been a lot of fun.
     Bob, is going to sculpt me a tree branch holder out of stoneware clay.  Now I have to wait two weeks for the clay to dry and for him to fire, glaze, and fire again.  I love his sculptures, but I don't have it in me to wait patiently.  I guess that's why I create things that can be completed quickly.  In the meantime, I will start my next book sculpture.

SOLD - April 2nd, 2012 on Etsy.com (artfuliving.etsy.com)

Impulsive Tomato Soup

During my last shopping trip, I accidentally purchased 2 bottles of 'Low Sodium' V8 Vegetable Juice. I honestly have tried to cut back on my sodium intake, but my stubborn tongue enjoys the flavor of salt. I thought I could simply sprinkle in a healthy dose of salt and it would restore my favorite morning drink. Oh, but to no avail. One sip and I knew that I would not be drinking my morning V8!
Earlier this week, I made a batch of salsa and then a batch of tomato sauce. Once all my organic tomatoes were all used up, I got in the mood for a pot of homemade tomato soup. I kicked myself for not saving back a few tomatoes. While looking for something else to warm my tummy, I saw a lonely bottle of 'Low Sodium' V8 sitting in the back of my pantry. So my creative juices began to stir.

                                              Impulsive Tomato Soup

1 46 fl oz Bottle of V8 Low Sodium 100% Vegetable Juice
1/2 cup milk
1 can Campbell's Cream of Celery Soup
Salt
Italian herbs
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Tabasco Sauce (just a few drops)

GARNISH: Cheddar Cheese and Croutons

In a pot add milk and celery soup and stir till smooth. Add Vegetable juice and spices. When it comes to spices, I add to taste. that means, I add a little, taste a little, add a little more, until its perfect. Since every ones tastes are a little different, I did not list measurements. Heat on medium heat until simmering. Add Tabasco sauce. Lower heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Garnish and serve.

Substitutions: I think any condensed cream soup will work. If I had had Campbell's Nacho cheese soup, I would have use that and instead of Italian herbs, used chili powder. Maybe next time!

Quick & Easy Veggie Lasagna

                                  Quick & Easy Veggie Lasagna

¼ cup Olive Oil

½ cup Diced Onions
1 cup diced Bell Pepper (I use a combination of both red & bell pepper)
1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
2 Tbs Minced Garlic
½ cup sliced zucchini
½ cup yellow squash
2 cups chopped fresh Spinach
1 Tbs Italian herbs
Salt to taste

2 ½ cups Tomato sauce (I used my homemade sauce that I had in the freezer)

1 box Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles
2 cups Mozzarella Cheese
1 ½ cup Ricotta Cheese (or cottage cheese if desired)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions and sauté for 3 minutes. Then add bell pepper, mushrooms, garlic, herb, spinach and salt . Sauté till tender.  Stir in tomato sauce and set aside.

Lightly spray an 8x8 baking dish/pan with a non-stick spray.  Spread a layer of veggie-sauce; layer two pieces of oven-ready pasta over the sauce; Spread Ricotta cheese over pasta (I like to put my ricotta in a pastry bag or a Ziploc baggie with corner cut out and squeeze my ricotta into place). Next, Spread a layer of veggie-sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and add another layer of pasta. Repeat two more times ending with veggie-sauce and cheese on top.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until cheese is hot and bubbly.  Remove from oven and let set of 5 minutes before cutting.

Orange Pulp Cupcakes

                                                       Orange Pulp Cupcake

I used a basic white cake recipe (you can use a boxed white cake mix if you prefer). Instead of water, I added 1 1/3 cup of fresh squeezed orange juice with pulp (while squeezing I scraped out as much pulp as I could - no membrains). The rest of the recipe is the same - eggs, oil, and such. Baked at 350 for 18 minutes. They are topped with a vanilla glaze - 1 cup powder sugar, 1 to 2 Tbs milk (adding a little at a time till desired thickness is acheived) and a 1/4 tsp vanilla extract. Spoon glaze over completely cooled cupcakes. SERVE!

Roasted Jerusalem Artichoke Salad

One of the items in this weeks basket was a bag full of Jerusalem artichoke. It's a strange looking thing! Researching this, I found out that it is not from Jerusalem, not is it from the artichoke family. It tastes kind of like a cross between a potato and a radish - kinda. Many websites say to prepare it like you would a potato.

Since the flavor is a little stronger than a potato, I thought I would add more lively ingredients to it to balance out the strong flavor. It turned out great! My husband loved it.

                                           Roasted Jerusalem Artichoke Salad

2 cups Jerusalem Artichoke* (peeled and diced to 1" cubed)
1 cup Red Bell Pepper (diced)
2 cups Yellow Squash* (diced to 1" cubes)
1/2 cup Yellow Onion*
1/2 cup Tomatos (from the insides of 4 medium tomatos)
2 Tbs Olive Oil
Sprinkle of Sea Salt
Sprinkle of Pepper
Sprinkle of Garlic Powder
Sprinkle of Italian Herbs
Drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl coat artichoke, bell pepper, squash, and onion with olive oil. Add the spices and herbs and mix gently. Layer mixture on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until artichokes are golden brown. Drizzle on Balsamic Vinegar and serve in hollowed out tomato bowls.

 TOMATO BOWLS: Cut the top 1/4 of the tomato off and set aside. Using a spoon, gently hollow out the tomatos (use what you scrap out to dice for roasting).

Putting My Bountiful Basket to Good Use!

Since purchasing from Bountiful Basket Food Co-op every other week, my fridge and cupboard have been full of wonderfully fresh produce.  Not wanting any of it to go to waste, I have started creating new things with fruits and veggies that I have never tried before. I have been having a great time experimenting and my husband has had fun being my taste tester.  I have always been the 'little bit of this', 'a pinch of that' kind of cook, so if you see a recipe of one of my dishes and need a more accurate recipe, please email me.